Time switch



' .dly'f10,192s. 1,677,107

E. s. FLARsHElM y TIME swITcH Filed March 25, 1925 2 Sheetsheet 1 J3- Jo5 fil. "LA

`ufy 10, 1928.

` E. S. FLARSHEIM TIME SWITCH Filed March 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheer(I larmando@ 62M QW/ Patented July 10, 119.218.

unirse stares EDWIN` S. FLARSHEM, OF

infami' TIME SWITCH.

application 1aed March 23,1925. 'serial No. 17,484.

My invention relates to a time switch for pening and, closing thercontacts of an electric circuit, the invention being in the nature ofan improvement and sin'iplilication of the devicebroadly disclosed andclaimed in copendingapplication Serial No. 506,612, liled October l0,1921.

' The object of the present invention is to improve upon the pushplunger structure and operati-on "andy the mechanism for automaticallytripping the plunger to open the contacts at the end of a predeterminedperiod of cont-act closing. a H

`The inventionl has particular value when used to control the circuit ofan X-ray machine,although its utility is not conlined to anyspeciticfusage.

InlX-ray machines it is particularly desir able to be ableto take aperfectly definite time exposure even to the fraction of a sec* ond. Itisalso desirable tobe able upon occasion to open the contacts before thee2:-` piration of the time period. It is also desirable to provide aswitchwhich can be manually operated independently of the timemechanism. It also desirable to have the full force of the clock springutilized in. the tripping operation which opens the contacts.

y The features of the invention are more fully set forth inthe'descriptionof the accompanying drawings forminga part of thisspecification, in which: a

y Figure l is a rear view of the switch with the cover removed.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2. of Fig. l. f

Figure 3 is a sectionalview taken on line .3L-'3, of Fig. 2. showingthetripping mechanism in normal non-operative position.

Figure l is a Sectional view taken on line 4 4. or Fig. i. l "FigureSlis a view taken the same as Fig. 3 and showing the tripping mechanismin the act of moving the plunger to disengage the switch contacts.`

Figure 6 yis a fragmentary face view of the switch with certain partsremoved.

Figure 7 is a face view of the` dial.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the cam ring for tripping themechanism. lFigure 9 is a sectional view of the clock mechanism,

Figure l is a sectional viewv taken on line l0-l0, of Fig. 2Q

The exact form and arrangement .of` the parts comprising` the, mechanismin relation to one another and the exact form of CINCINNATLOI-IO,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN G. H.

LIEBEL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. i

mechanism is supported in axial relation to the casing, there beingpreferably a lateral tubular extension casing portion 2 at the upper endfor housing the clock mechanism.

Throughout the specification and claims for the purposes ofbrevityandclarity, I

have referred to the power source or motor train asa clock mechanism, itbeing understoodthat any other form of device'capable of storing up ordelivering energy to be released and stopped after a predetermined timeoperation is broadly equivalent. The 'contacts 3, 4, of the copperspring blade type, and the spring blade actuator therefor with theinsulating block 6, preferably formed with the deiiected portion 7, aremounted in parallelism in the'supporting block 8 upon the inside ofthecasing, the lower projecting ends'ofthe contacts Ibeing connected withthe electric conduits 9 which are led through an orifice at the bottomof the tubular casing. The actuator 6 is not absolutely essential, itbeing obvious that he plunger could directly engage one of the contactblades if desired. The bracket l() projected from the casing, positionsand spaces the upper ends of these three blades `below the insulationblock 6. but this member may be omit-ted if desired. Y The, plunger inthe present 'instance is preferably a flat or rigid blade-like orplate-4 lile piece of metal which can conveniently be formed as astamping and this plunger blade il preferably has its upper end formedwith or connected to a push button l2 upon the top of the tubularCasingand seated in an annular. recess 13.

This plunger member is supported in a v manner Vpermitting the plungertohave spring controlled reciprocal longitudinal movement in the casingfor manually opening and closing the contacts and it must be also sosupported that it may have, when in depressed position, a second, orrelatively independent, but preferably a lateral movenent for effectingthe automat-ic disengage* ment or opening of the contacts. To enablethese movements the upper end of the plunger is formed with a centrallongitudinal guide slot l/ l for a slide operation in relation to theheaded pivot bolt l5 screwed into thecasing, it'being perfectly clearthat this slotted pivotal form of support enables a longitudinalmovement of the plunger' in relationto the pivot and also a ypivotalaction on said bolt when the plunger depressed. enabling the lower endof the piston to make the swinging movement by which the contacts are tobe automatically disengaged. The upper end of the plunger adjacent theslot is preferably held against a bearing plate 16.

T he lower portion of the plunger slides in a guideway formed by a ribli" of the casing and the cross bar i8 confining the plunger plate to alongitudnal reciprocal movement in one direction but permitting alateral or pivotal movement of the lower end of the plunger in the planeof the guideway.

This plunger is positioned to reciprocate in a central portion of thetube casing for compactness of structure and it is positioned rbetweenthe contact springs and their actu ator on one .side and the cloclrmechanism on the other side. To this end the plunger plate which istodirectly operate the contacts upon one side and also to directly operate the clock releasing mechanism and to be tripped by the clock memberupon the other side of the plate, is formed with a projection on oneside for operating the contacts, and a projection also on the otherside, to operate in relation to the cloclr mechanism. In the thin,blade-form of plunger7 which we preferably employ, these two actuatingplunger members or projections may be convenicntly termedv by cuttingout a medial portion of the plunger and bending outwardly a tongue 19constitutingl a detent to engage the deflected end 7 of the Contactactuator 6 so that when the plunger is depressed this tongue 19 engagesthe deflected end 7 andk closes the contacts. lVhen the plunger is movedlaterally by the time-trip,

the tongue 19 has a triggenlilie escapement from the part 7.

When the vplunger is released it moves away from this engagement openingthe contact-s. On the other side of the plunger is a projection or dog2O constituting the memT ber to be tripped and also constituting amember to operate the clock releasing mechanism.

This blade plunger is held in the normal position shown in Fig. l bymeans of the coil spring 2l which holds the plunger normally in itsraised or open contact position and also holds it normally in itscentral vertical position.r so that the spring-2l operates to return theplunger either when released from depressed kposition or when laterallymoved for breaking the Contact by the automatic tripping action.

it the end of the tripping movement the tripping member is engagedagainst the side or edge of the plunger member to be tripped, theplunger being` swung to one side of its normal position. 1n order topermit the plunger to return to normal position, I preferably providethe notch 22 upon the lower end of member 20, permitting a trigger-likeescapement enabling the member 20 to move past and over the trippingmember when the depressed plunger is released and automatically .returnto its'normal position.

lt will be seen from the disclosure so far, that the plunger may bemanually reciprocated at any time independently of the clock mechanismso that the opening and closing of the contacts is always under optionalmanual control. j

The cloclr mechanism will be later described in generality,`but for thepresent purpose it is su'llicient to say that the power shaft l0 has asetting knob 23 on the dial face 24 (see Fig. 7). On the other end ofshaft@ is fixed the crank arm 25 hav.

will best be-seen in Fig. 2, is substantially adjacent the plungermember 20 to be tripped so that when the plunger is depressed to closethe contactsv this member 20 will be interposed in the path of movementof the finger 26. When this clock-operated tripping member 25, 2Grotates in the arc of a circle so that the arm 2G strikes the side ofthe plunger member 2O to be tripped, the plunger has a relativelylateral .movement in its bearingsV and in relation to its pivotalsupport which disengages the plunger memberl- V.from the deflected end 7oinA the contact actuator 6. That is to say, when the plunger is movedlaterally by the tripping action of the clock mechanism the plungermember 19, disengages member 7 and the contacts are broke On the backplate of the cloclr within the casing is a bell. crank lever 27 engagingwith a latch QS'liolding the clock normally locked against operation,the bell crank lever being normalized in this position by a iii `spring29. The lower end of the bell'crank4 `lever 27 has a stirrup extension3l in the direction ot the plunger', and this stirrup occupiesa'posit'ion below the crank arm 26 of the tripping member. l V

Looking at Figs. 7 and 6, it will be seen that the indicating;r clockhand 32 on shaft 40, is pointing' to the arrow shown on a portion ot thediallnot indexed. The dial index numbers the seconds or fractions from`zero point on in a direction clock-wise. On vthe innerend of' shaft 40is a pawl arm 33 carrying a spring' pawl 34 lor operating the ratchetwheel 35 loose on Yshaft LlO, so that the clock hand v32, shaft 40 andpawl arm 33, may operate as `a unit in the counterclockwise"` direction.Abutting the `front plate of the clock vis a cam ring' 36 formed with ashoulder or Stop 36a for engaging the outer end of the arm 33 tostop'the clock delinitely when the spring isrunpdown and the clck hand32 is pointing;- to the arrow, that is, in an uli-indexed position. `Thearm 33 when operated bv clock spring moves counter-clockwise and thepa'wl 3ft is tripped by a cam 37 adjacent the stop 36a so that theratchet wheel when the clock hand 32 is moved from the zero point to thearrow point in a counter-clockwise direction. It will thus be seenthatwhen the clock hand 32 or indicator is unset for a timed operation the`plunger may be ttreely reciprocated without eectina the clockreleasing, but when the clock hand 32 is set, say to point 4l on thedial, for a corresponding time operation the pawl arm 33 has moved awayfrom stop 36a so that the clock movement isnt arrested. which movementof the clock hand winds the clocl spring, so that when the clock hand 32is thus set and the clock spring' wound. the depression of the plungermoves the bell crank on its tulcrum to the clock releasing; positionshown in Fia'. 5, and this depression of the plunger, as betore Stated,places the plunger member 20 which is to be tripped in the path oitravel oit the clockoperated tripping finger 26.

The details of the clock mechanism are not new in themselves and neednot be detailed,

inasmuch as Fig. l0 shows the ordinary7 escapement mechanism in plan ina manner which will be understood clearly by those skilled in the art.

Figure 9 shows a central vertical section through the elements mountedon the power shaft.

All the elements in this figure are fixed in relation to the power shaft40, except the ratchet wheel 35 and the time train gear l1 which `areunitarily mounted loosely thereon. but which members 35, 41, becomefixed to rotate with its shaft l0 in its counter-clockwise direction.

operate vin rel-ation to corresponding 'mechanisms through'intermediarylever or transmission connections.` l

It is also highly advantageous, as fully disclosed and claimed inthe'previous case, that the whole force of theA clock power is utilized inthe kick-'ott' `or contact break when the eloclr hand movescounter-clockwise from the zero point to its normal position at thearrow. That is to say, the contacts are closed for the exact perioddefinitely timed, while instantaneously, at the conclusion of thattimed' period, the full yforce of the spring comes into play at themoment o'f the tripping action, during' the slight remaining motion otthe hand to position in which it becomes definitely stopped in itscounter-clockwise direction of travel.

Through this invention VI am enabled to produce a single. or one-pieceplunger which in itself will engage the contacts, and at the same timerelease the clock mechanism.

Having described my invention, I claim I l. In an electric time switch,in combination with the contacts, a clock mechanism. a clock-releasingand a clock-stopping mechanism, a one-piece, spring-normalized plungerpositioned between said actuatoil and said cloclc mechanism, supportingmeans t'or said plunge-r enablinga manual reciprocal movement to operatethe contacts and to operate the clock-releasing mechanism, said meanspermitting a relatively lateral movement of the plunger, a member on onetace or" the plunger to longitudinally engage and disengage t-hecontacts and to laterally disene'age said actuator, a member to betripped on the `opposite iace oit the plunger, a clock-operated trippingmember adapted to be set for a timed operated engagement with saidmember to be tripped, and means for limiting the clock operated movementof said tripping member.

2. In a time switch, in combination with electric contacts, aclockinechanism, releasing mechanism therefor, a clock-operated trippingmember adapted to be set for timed movement to a stopping position, alongitudinally reciprocal and laterally movable spring-normalizedplunger element formed and positioned for engaging; and disengaging thecontacts when the plunger is manually reciprocated and for automaticallydisengaging; the contacts when theplunger is moved laterally, and aplunger member to be l Uli tripped formedin aI position to actuate theclock release when the plunger is reciprocated and to be automaticallyactuated by said tripping member to eect the lateral plunger movement.

3. In a time switch, a casing, a plate-like member constituting aplunger element, pivotal slot and guide connections between said plateand the casing enabling said plunger to have a longitudinal movement anda relatively late-ral movement in the plane of the plate when theplunger is depressed, a clock actuated tripping member adapted to bemoved from a stopped position 'for a timed operation, a clock releasingmeans and contacts, the clock mechanism and contacts beingadapted to becoordinately operated by the longitudinal and lateral movementsrespectively of said plunger, and a spring for normalizing said plungerplate.

4. In a time switch, a casing, a plate-like plunger member, anormalizing spring' therefor, pivotal slot and guide connections betweenthe casing and plate, enabling a longitudinal movement of the pla-te anda lateral movement of its lower end when depressed, a clock-actuatedtripping member adapted to kbe moved from a. stopped position for a `hasbeen swung to its contact disengaging position, enabling the trippingmember to complete its movement to the normal or stopped position.

In witness whereof7 I hereunto subscribe my name.

EDWIN s. FLARSHEIM.

